Bayer launches online ToBRFV knowledge center

Vegetables by Bayer launches its ‘Confidence On Every Level Campaign’ aiming to provide a trusted platform to inform customers on the latest research on ToBRFV, short for Tomato brown rugose virus. "The campaign will come with a new webpage within all our Vegetables by Bayer websites with localized language. Information on the website will include our seed health program ‘Shield’ as well as notifying our customers of upcoming ToBRFV-resistant varieties", says Leslie Teo, Global Issues & Public Affairs Lead at Vegetables by Bayer.

"ToBRFV is a viral disease impacting tomato plants that is spreading rapidly around the world. As an R&D leader, Vegetables by Bayer works on all levels to provide long-term solutions for growers, marketers, and consumers. Consistent performance and excellent fruit quality, taste, and yield potential are the baseline for our research."

For their ToBRFV-resistant tomatoes, Bayer selects traits from established varieties with confirmed quality traits. Among Bayer's portfolio are Strabini, Ferreira, Novero, and Caramelino.

Investment in research and the Shield program
Throughout the trialing phase, only varieties that meet Bayer's standards after testing under ' realistic' growing conditions will be considered for the market. As part of Bayer's ToBRFV mitigation program, in 2023, Vegetables by Bayer invested in a new 2.000 m2 quarantine glasshouse in Wageningen, The Netherlands.

Selected new varieties from trials will undergo Bayer’s testing and trialing program. The seed health program Shield - a set of protocols that aim to support seed health and quality testing - is set in place with the goal of supporting the production process.

Please find the link to the campaign's webpage.